Intelligence as a Principle of Public Economy

Del pensiero come principio d'economia publica

Intelligence as a Principle of Public Economy offers the best expression of the life and thought of the nineteenth-century Italian political economist Carlo Cattaneo. Available here for the first time in English, this volume showcases pensiero come principio d'economia publica, Cattaneo's pioneering vision of economic growth that emphasized the central role of intelligence and will in economic processes, the value of knowledge and innovation, and the importance of liberty. This classic of Italian thought is framed by a long biographical sketch of Cattaneo's life before, during, and after the Italian Risorgimento and an afterword that demonstrates the continuing relevance of Cattaneo's social, political, and economic ideas to today's ongoing debate about the importance of a free society.« lessmore »

Carlo Cattaneo (1801-1869) was a leading Italian economic theorist and political thinker. A proponent of free trade and a critic of protectionism, Cattaneo was active in the movement for Italian independence, writing historical and philosophical essays in suppport of an Italian federation of democratic republics and against Habsburg rule.

Chapter 1 Foreword to the American EditionChapter 2 ForewordChapter 3 Biographical NotesChapter 4 Intelligence as a Principle of Public EconomyChapter 5 Afterword: Starting again from Carlo Cattaneo

For those who are trying to rebuild economic science and policy based on a correct understanding of the human person, Cattaneo's work needs to be considered as an important contribution.... The release of Intelligence as a Principle of Public Economy.— Journal of Markets & Morality

Thanks to Marco Vitale, one of Cattaneo's most significant essays appears here in English for the first time. In lively, penetrating prose, rich in historical details, and with a maginificent sweep across continents and cultures, Cattaneo self-consciously goes beyond Adam Smith to identify mind—that is intelligence, and also will—as the main cause of the wealth of nations.— Michael Novak, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Commission, 1994 Templeton laureate

For those who are trying to rebuild economic science and policy based on a correct understanding of the human person, Cattaneo's work needs to be considered as an important contribution.... The release of Intelligence as a Principle of Public Economy.— Journal of Markets & Morality